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2023 Most Well Attended IS Major

402 Ranked Colleges
18,325 Degrees Awarded
$36,300 Avg Cost*
Most Well Attended IS Major

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Most Well Attended IS Major” ranking is part of that endeavor.

Information Science is the 58th most popular major in the country with 18,325 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, information science graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $59,394 and had an average of $28,852 in loans still to pay off.

This year’s “Most Well Attended IS Major” ranking looked at 402 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in information science. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have one of the most popular information science programs in the United States.

For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank Information Science Schools

Rankings by Degree Other Award Levels
Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More IS Rankings Other Ranking Categories

The is school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Most Well Attended IS Major”.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Most Well Attended IS Major

The following schools top our list of the Best “Most Well Attended IS Major”.

1

Out of the 402 schools in the Most Well Attended IS Major that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Maryland Global Campus landed the #1 spot on the list. UMGC is a public institution located in Adelphi, Maryland. The school has a large population, and it awarded 2,322 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Information Science at UMGC

2

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Maryland - College Park. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Most Well Attended IS Major list. This large school is located in College Park, Maryland, and it awarded 674 ’s IS degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Information Science at UMCP

3
Rutgers New Brunswick crest
Rutgers University - New Brunswick
New Brunswick, New Jersey

Out of the 402 schools in the Most Well Attended IS Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Rutgers University - New Brunswick landed the #3 spot on the list. Rutgers New Brunswick is a large school located in New Brunswick, New Jersey that handed out 521 ’s IS degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Rutgers New Brunswick Information Science Report

4

Out of the 402 schools in the Most Well Attended IS Major that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Maryland - Baltimore County landed the #4 spot on the list. Located in Baltimore, Maryland, this fairly large public school awarded 505 degrees to qualified ’s IS students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.

Full UMBC Information Science Report

5

Out of the 402 schools in the Most Well Attended IS Major that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor landed the #5 spot on the list. U-M is a large school located in Ann Arbor, Michigan that handed out 390 ’s IS degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full U-M Information Science Report

6

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended IS Major ranking. UIUC is a large school located in Champaign, Illinois that handed out 388 ’s IS degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Information Science Report

7

University of California - Berkeley did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended IS Major ranking, coming in at #7. UC Berkeley is a large school located in Berkeley, California that handed out 373 ’s IS degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Information Science at UC Berkeley

8

The University of Texas at Dallas landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended IS Major ranking. Located in Richardson, Texas, this large public school awarded 395 degrees to qualified ’s IS students in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Information Science at The University of Texas at Dallas

9
Syracuse crest
Syracuse University
Syracuse, New York

Syracuse University ranked #9 on this year’s Most Well Attended IS Major list. This large school is located in Syracuse, New York, and it awarded 343 ’s IS degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Information Science at Syracuse

10

New York City College of Technology did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended IS Major ranking, coming in at #10. Brooklyn, New York is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s IS degrees to 311 students in 2020-2021.

Read more about Information Science at City Tech

11
U of U crest
University of Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah

University of Utah did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended IS Major ranking, coming in at #11. This large school is located in Salt Lake City, Utah, and it awarded 301 ’s IS degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Information Science at University of Utah

12

The University of Texas at Arlington did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended IS Major ranking, coming in at #12. Arlington, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s IS degrees to 294 students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Information Science at UT Arlington

13
Boston U crest
Boston University
Boston, Massachusetts

Boston University landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended IS Major ranking. This large school is located in Boston, Massachusetts, and it awarded 286 ’s IS degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%.

Read more about Information Science at Boston University

14
Baruch crest
Baruch College
New York, New York

Baruch College landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended IS Major ranking. Baruch is a public institution located in New York, New York. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 285 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.2% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%.

Read full report on Information Science at Baruch

15

With a ranking of #15, University of Massachusetts - Lowell did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended IS Major list. UMass Lowell is a fairly large school located in Lowell, Massachusetts that handed out 244 ’s IS degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Information Science at University of Massachusetts - Lowell

16

New Jersey Institute of Technology landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended IS Major ranking. NJIT is a public institution located in Newark, New Jersey. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 217 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Information Science at NJIT

16

With a ranking of #16, University of Washington - Seattle Campus did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended IS Major list. UW Seattle is located in Seattle, Washington and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 212 ’s IS degrees to qualified students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Information Science at UW Seattle

18

University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended IS Major ranking. University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee is located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 203 ’s IS degrees to qualified students.

Read full report on Information Science at UWM

19

University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended IS Major ranking. University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus is located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 200 ’s IS degrees to qualified students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus Information Science Report

20

Virginia Commonwealth University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended IS Major ranking, coming in at #20. Virginia Commonwealth University is a large school located in Richmond, Virginia that handed out 193 ’s IS degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Virginia Commonwealth University Information Science Report

21
Drexel crest
Drexel University
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Drexel University landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended IS Major ranking. This large school is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 176 ’s IS degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Information Science at Drexel University

22
JMU crest
James Madison University
Harrisonburg, Virginia

James Madison University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended IS Major ranking. Located in Harrisonburg, Virginia, this large public school handed out 168 degrees to qualified ’s IS students in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Information Science at JMU

23

With a ranking of #23, Texas A&M University - College Station did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended IS Major list. Texas A&M College Station is a large school located in College Station, Texas that handed out 163 ’s IS degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.2% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Information Science at Texas A&M College Station

24
Ivy Tech Community College crest
Ivy Tech Community College
Indianapolis, Indiana

With a ranking of #24, Ivy Tech Community College did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended IS Major list. Ivy Tech Community College is a large public school situated in Indianapolis, Indiana. It awarded 384 ’s IS degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Information Science at Ivy Tech Community College

25

With a ranking of #25, University of Illinois at Chicago did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended IS Major list. University of Illinois at Chicago is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 156 ’s IS degrees to qualified students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Information Science at University of Illinois at Chicago

Rest of the Best 50 in Most Well Attended IS Major

Not only did these schools make the top 50 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
GaSou crest
Georgia Southern University
Statesboro, Georgia
27
28
Pace University crest
Pace University - New York
New York, New York
29
30
31
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida
32
33
Fordham U crest
Fordham University
Bronx, New York
34
Boston College crest
Boston College
Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts
35
KSU Georgia crest
Kennesaw State University
Kennesaw, Georgia
36
Norwich crest
Norwich University
Northfield, Vermont
36
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois
38
DePaul crest
DePaul University
Chicago, Illinois
39
40
41
GWU crest
George Washington University
Washington, District of Columbia
42
43
44
Lehman crest
Lehman College
Bronx, New York
45
46
Claremont Graduate University crest
Claremont Graduate University
Claremont, California
47
48
48
48
SUNY Stony Brook crest
Stony Brook University
Stony Brook, New York

Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in Most Well Attended IS Major

While not in the ’top 50’, these schools make the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

RankCollegeLocation
51Buffalo StateBuffalo, NY
52Hudson Valley Community CollegeTroy, NY
53Bellevue UniversityBellevue, NE
53Lamar UniversityBeaumont, TX
55Salisbury UniversitySalisbury, MD
56Nova Southeastern UniversityFort Lauderdale, FL
57Eastern Gateway Community CollegeSteubenville, OH
58Johns Hopkins UniversityBaltimore, MD
59Trine University-Regional/Non-Traditional CampusesFort Wayne, IN
59The Graduate Center, CUNYNew York, NY
61University at AlbanyAlbany, NY
61Utah Valley UniversityOrem, UT
61Northern Kentucky UniversityHighland Heights, KY

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

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